After A Year In Space, NASA Astronaut’s Genes Have Changed.

After spending a year in space, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is not the man he used to be — at least genetically speaking.

His genetic expression has changed, according to preliminary results from a NASA study that compared the bodily changes between the astronaut and his identical twin, who stayed on Earth while Kelly was aboard the International Space Station.

About 7 percent of Kelly’s genes have yet to “return to normal” ― almost two years after his yearlong expedition came to an end. Kelly has since retired from NASA.

The Twins Study, as it’s been dubbed, looked at what happened to Kelly — both from a physiological and psychological perspective — before, during and after his trip in space, and then compared that data to Kelly’s twin brother, Mark.

Mark Kelly is also a retired NASA astronaut. Unlike his brother, however, who spent months at a time in space, Mark’s missions were on the shorter side. His last ― and longest ― mission, which took place in 2011, lasted 15 days.

NASA described the research as a “perfect nature versus nurture study” ― one that could provide important insights into the effects of long-term spaceflight on the human body.

Although most of the biological changes Kelly experienced in space disappeared in the hours and days (and in some cases, weeks) after his return to Earth, NASA said some alterations appear to have persisted.

While 93 percent of his genetic expression has returned to normal, several hundred “space genes” have remained altered, the data suggests. NASA said this could indicate “longer term changes” in the genes caused by the stresses of spaceflight.

NASA said it would be releasing more findings from the Twins Study in the coming months. This research, they added, will inform their planning for a mission to Mars, which would see astronauts spending some three years in space.

Reacting to the news of the study results this week, Kelly expressed amazement at his body’s changes ― and also used the opportunity to poke fun at his brother.

“This could be good news,” he joked on Twitter. “I no longer have to call [Mark] my identical twin brother anymore.”

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Astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent a year in space, now has different DNA than his identical twin brother, according to a new study conducted by NASA.

Preliminary findings indicate that Scott Kelly has a seven percent difference in genetic makeup than his brother Mark Kelly after 340 days aboard the International Space Station.

Most of the biological changes Scott experienced in space quickly returned to nearly his pre-flight status, some within hours or days of landing on March 1, 2016, while a few persisted after six months, according to the study.

But, the remaining seven percent of the genetic changes point to possible longer term changes in genes related to his immune system, DNA repair, bone formation networks, hypoxia (or oxygen deficiency) and hypercapnia (excessive carbon dioxide in the blood).

“The Twins Study has benefited NASA by providing the first application of genomics to evaluate potential risks to the human body in space,” according to a statement from the space agency.

Another interesting find was that Scott’s telomeres (endcaps of chromosomes that shorten as one ages) actually became significantly longer in space, but shortened two days after his return.

Scott Kelly’s mission was twice as long as an astronaut’s term aboard the International Space Station.

It is reportedly a “stepping stone” to an eventual three-year mission to Mars, NASA said.